Realm Runners

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: On to the Well of Demons

29

JAN/12

Mentathenis emerges from his meditation and is greeted by Phaledra, who makes sure he is feeling well. Though most of his body from the chest down is still numb and tingling from being resurrected, he is able to stand with the priestess’ help and she leads him towards the door of his room and down the stairs into the tavern of the Halfmoon Inn.

Being early in the morn, the tavern is mostly empty save for his friends. Aces and Megilwath are playing cards and attempting to teach Modreg to stop eating those he is dealt. Terrlen looks on while gulping down some ale and Krushi shares in a bit of trail mix with Rendil at the bar. Erra is busy behind the counter as usual, cleaning her mugs and plates and the soft strum of a lute can be heard from the corner where The Maven is practicing her tunes.

Terrlen looks up and greets the eladrin as he is coming down the stairs and Megilwath stands to clap. Everyone joins in to welcome him back from his quick run in with death.

After another full breakfast, courtesy of Erra and Rendil, the party gathers their things and sets off to brave the Labyrinth once again.

Terrlen cautiously guides them around the edge of the cisterns this time, and into the twisting passages. After a few minutes trek through the winding corridors, the party stumbles across a group of three wraiths and a gelatinous cube. With nary a scratch, they make quick work of them all and find a stone tablet that appears to have a treasure map engraved upon it.

They continue on, and eventually make their way to the first of the locations Surina described on the map she gave to Krushi and Mentathenis. Megilwath notices what looks to be a vague semblance of an archway within the rocky wall. Mentathenis detects the residual effects of a magical ritual upon the area, but they are unable to find their way through. They decide to continue on to the second location and discover the same thing. Moving towards the third, there is a definite magical aura upon the wall. Megilwath pushes on the rocky wall and finds he can walk fight through as if no rock were there at all. The party follows.

When they enter the entry way of the Well of Demons, Megilwath feels a slight vibration under his feet, and sees that much of the floor in the room before them appears to be up torn. They also notice 5 pillars around the square room, each one has a relief of a Minotaur carved out of it. When Aces moves in, the Minotaur carvings animate and pull partially away from their pillars, together in a booming voice they say…

Greetings seekers of Baphomet’s boundless glory.Those who prove unworthy of his attentionShall be claimed forever as his slaves.Those who prove worthyShall be granted power beyond mortal reckoning.Mask, Bell, Blade, and Tome.

Aces moves in further and a giant phallager tentacle errupts out of the floor near her. The same happens for Megilwath as he follows. Three other creatures, a ghoul and two chokers emerge from hiding behind three of the pillars and converge on the mul and drow.

Krushi, Mentathenis and The Maven stay in the hallway and launch their attacks from there. After a tough fight, the party bests the the undead and fey, and successfully remove and destroy all four of the phallager’s appendages, sending it rumbling away, alive, but defeated.

The party takes a quick breather and Mentathenis notices that the walls of the Well of Demons appear to phase in and out of another plane. As though the barrier between this world and the next is breaking down, just as they had seen in Shadowfell Keep as they neared the subterranean cathedral and Kalarel’s ritual.

Mentanthenis feels a chill wash over his body as though something unwholesome has swept into his soul. He can make out the whisper of a voice as it happens and immediately casts Root Understanding. The voice said “You are mine.” He alerts the party of what he experienced.

Aces sends Megilwath ahead to scout the two corridors branching off to the east and south of the entry room. The drow puts his ear to each door he comes across and hears the yelps and laughs of hyena-like creatures beyond. , he returns to the party and they decide to attempt to shim the first set of doors and move on to the second…